The Garden Candytuft (Iberis umbellata L.): At the Crossroad of Copper Accumulation and Glucosinolates

Abstract

The copper accumulation ability and its impact on the glucosinolate content of the garden candytuft were studied. Different copper sources (adsorbents or solution) were used. Generally, the seedlings copper uptake from the adsorbents was in the amount needed for its growth and development with the beneficial or no impact on the glucosinolate content. The lowest copper concentration was detected in the total seedlings biomass which grew in the humus with the addition of Cu-exchanged zeolite NaX (27.88 μg g−1 DW) having glucosinolate content of 9757.81 µg g−1 DW (23.86 µmol g−1 DW). The highest copper concentration among all the garden candytuft samples was detected in the seedlings watered with CuSO4∙5H2O solution (514.63 μg g−1 DW) with a sharp decrease of the glucosinolate content 3103.33 µg g−1 DW (7.59 µmol g−1 DW). Based on the results obtained, the garden candytuft can be considered as a copper accumulator plant.